We will be hitting Boston next week (a party of 7 - 3 adults and 4 teens) and would love some restaurant recommendations that won't break the bank.
We're staying in Somerville but plan to use the T quite extensively...

What kind of food do you want to eat? How restrictive are your kids' palates?

Fire and Ice in the Back Bay is popular with teens - one price - pick what you want to eat from various stations - sauces, veggies, protein and then bring to a central large cooking station where the staff cooks it.

Pizzeria Regina has the best pizza in Boston - fun very casual atmosphere in the North End.

Somerville's Davis Square has some popular places too - Redbones has good bbq. Diesel Cafe is a coffee and dessert place.

There are lots of great places to eat - way more than I've listed but this will get the thread started.

Bachslunch - We're open to various types of food...of course a seafood recommendation would be great since we're in Boston...

Bennnie - thanks...exactly the type of stuff we're looking for. I thought I read that Fire & Ice also has a Cambridge location?

Keep those suggestions coming!!!

Will second Pizzeria Regina and Redbones, but most definitely not Fire and Ice. Kids usually like the last of these, but parents with working taste buds will likely be very, very unimpressed.

A good seafood spot near Harvard Square that has reasonable prices is Dolphin Seafood. Also in the square, consider Mr. and Mrs. Bartley's Burger Cottage.

There are several good options in Chinatown, including King Fung Garden or Peach Farm or East Ocean City (Chinese) or Xinh Xinh or Pho Pasteur or Pho Hoa (Vietnamese) or Penang (Malaysian).

Porter Square in Cambridge has several good ethnic options, including several small Japanese eateries at Porter Exchange.

A decent option for hot dogs in Davis Square is Spike's.

For info on Italian (and non-Italian) places in the North End besides Pizzeria Regina, please see my aging but still useful report on the area on Chowhound:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/448599

Would also recommend a board search both here and at Chowhound for other ideas.

Second the recs for Redbones & Dolphin seafood.

Wonderful recommendations! Thanks everyone.

My daughter loved the clam chowder at the Black Rose Pub near the Quincy Market.

Interesting thing about New England style clam chowder (the white and milky type), actually -- one can run into a couple of different styles. At some places, the chowder is very thick and gloppy, while at other places it's thinner. I much prefer the type that's thinner for two reasons:

--the gloppier type usually has thickeners added in such as flour. It's not usually richer in cream or anything like that.

--the thinner type actually tastes like clams, while the thicker type is usually pretty bland.

If memory serves, seafood places like Neptune Oyster (a really good seafood place in the North End) serve a thinner but tastier chowder.

Never had the chowder at the Black Rose Pub.

Restaurants on the Red Line

When my kids were teenagers, they liked Dolphin Seafood, which was great because we could afford it. Still can, and the older just turned 40.

They loved Mr Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square, though they don't serve alcohol so mom and dad get the Lime Rickey too. Also cheap.

They would have liked Redbones in Davis Square a lot, but it wasn't on our radar screen back then. They like it now.

Restaurants on the Blue Line (connect at Gov Ctr)

They also liked a place called Boston Sail Loft on Commercial Street on the waterfront in Boston, behind the Marriott Long Wharf and across Columbus Park and beyond Joe's. Burgers, seafood, salad, enormous nacho platters, complete with water and sailboat views. Last time I was there a couple of years ago, the menu had not changed since 1982, a point of pride for the owners. The front of the house is a neighborhood bar which goes in and out of fashion. Sometimes it is a meetmarket and sometimes almost empty, but the restaurant in the back is entirely family friendly and has a long history of good value. Hmmm. Haven't been there in a couple of years. I need to update this review!

Harder to get to (car or bus)

One of the great restaurants in Boston, where they wanted to go when they came home from college and still love is East Coast Grill in Inman Square in Cambridge. Indescribably good food.

I'll happily second the East Coast Grill in Inman Square. Besides having really good fish dishes (often with some spicy zip), they have some of the Boston area's best barbecue.

The best way to get to Inman Square is to take the #83 bus from the Porter or Central stops on the Red Line.

bachslunch~the chowder at the Black Rose was fairly thick and had just a hint of dill....it was a very unique flavor! The bread bowl in which it was served was fresh and very, very good!

We'll be on the orange line (apparently - the sullivan stop). But over the course of the 4 days, i'm sure we'll get all around the city and environs!

Don't want to push my luck but any really casual place to get lobster?
Also, when I was growing up, I remember going to the "No Name" place on a pier...no name, just a green awning...does that still exist?

Dolphin is casual & affordable.

Don't bother with No Name.

I have never eaten here, but they have built a reputation on their twin lobster special

http://mtvernonrestaurants.com/twinlobster.htm

no name is still there. I don't like their fried food but have enjoyed thier fish chowder - milky, not creamy with whatever they throw in that day

agree that East Coast Grill and Redbones could be fun rooms and the limerickey at Mr and Mrs. B is unmatched.

And as far as the lobster thing - if there is a grocer nearby, they will likely steam them for you at a good value to eat back at your lodging.

The fact that you're staying near Sullivan Sq on the Orange Line, it will be kind of a pain to get to REdbones in Davis Sq (on the red line). But you can always eat @ Mr. Bartleys' as well as Dolphin Seafood while you visit Harvard Sq.

Your best options would be just get on the Orange line for Haymarket STation, which gives you access to North End and Faneuil Hall. The Quincy market food court @ Faneuil Hall has something for everyone.

Or you can get off at Chinatown Station and there are plenty of budget options, such as Penang for Malaysian, Xinh Xinh for Vietnamese, or Gourmet Dumpling HOuse for Taiwanese.

Thanks to everyone for more great suggestions.
We will in fact have a car...I was just hoping to utilize public transportation as much as possible. I've been reading on another thread that there are parking lots that cost less than $12/day on weekends...so we're not ruling out any restaurants anywhere!

Lots of recs for Dolphin Seafood...maybe i should see if they take res for a party of 7.

Note that Davis Square is only two subway stops on the Red Line past Harvard, and Porter is only one stop past.

Will second the Mt. Vernon for reasonably priced lobster in a sit-down circumstance, though am thinking Dolphin Seafood will do nicely enough.

Another possibility that's rather like a lobster pound and should have reasonable prices and good quality food (but alas no view) is Yankee Lobster. You'd need to take the Silver Line going towards the airport and get off at Silver Line Way.

Avoid any entreaties for Barking Crab or Summer Shack or Union Oyster House you may encounter.

With a car, you can easily drive from Sullivan sq to Kendall Sq neighborhood for dinner - it's a short drive.

@ Kendall, there are plenty of options that will make both teens & parents happy:

The newly-opened Za on Third Street (pizzas & salads using fresh, local ingredients): http://www.zarestaurant.com/more/index.html

Perennial favorite, Emma's Pizza
http://www.emmaspizza.com/

The Friendly Toast
http://www.thefriendlytoast.net/

Mulan for Taiwanese

And Think Tank has just opened a few days ago - has some affordable sandwiches: http://thinktankcambridge.com/